Its A Mans World

1
Its A Mans World

• Gender and Gaming

2
Overview

• Biological gender differences
• Game Industry
• Gender preferences
• Abilities
• Motivations
• Gender issues in gaming.
• Key research

3
Biological Gender Differences

• Research marred by gender-stereotyped
  preconceptions and expectations.
• Obstructs efforts to gain a solid understanding
  of the biological differences/similarities
• Media issues - risk that medical gender research
  may be reduced to research about differences.
• If problem not addressed, it might lead to the
  reinforcement of the gendered structures of
  society.

4
Biological basis for gender differences

• Cognitive Style
• Field Independence
• Correlates with programming ability
• Negatively correlates with computer anxiety
• Males more field independent than females

5
Biological Gender Differences

• Difference in total brain size - men's brains are
  heavier than women's
• Not known whether this difference just the fact
  that men have larger bodies.
• Differences in brain lateralization and size of
  corpus callosum have been dismissed in recent
  reviews.

6
The State of The Industry

• Is this why the games industry thrives on first
  person shooters and racing games? Or a
  combination of the two Grand Theft Auto?
• Male games alienate female gamers
• Gender gap widened at early age
• Females spend 50 less time gaming
• Biological V Cultural

7
Game Design and Preferences

• Carr (2005)
• Young girls after school game club
• Choice of games GTA, Doom, Dead or Alive,
  Skating
• Features chosen
• Control, excitement, challenge, competition, male
  avatars not an issue.

8
Issues Killing Like a Girl

• Bryce Rutter (2002)
• Females more prevalent in gaming industry than
  realised
• Invisible in gaming communities
• 88 of 12-14 year old girls play games on a
  regular basis
• 43 of US gamers are female
• Games industry in denial?

9
Issues Hypersexual Avatars

• Sexualised and stereotypical female characters
• Feminised skills (healing, magic)
• Male avatars have big swords/guns
• Girls much rather pick up Resident Evil 3 and
  massacre some Zombies than play Barbie Fashion
  Designer

10
Gender Differences Abilities

• Kafai Games seem to replicate gender
  differences found in traditional toys
• Girls play with dolls, clothes and animals
• Boys play with guns, swords and action men
• Differences in game play performance disappear
  after extended exposure

11
Gender Differences Abilities

• Brunner et al (1990)
• Girls and boys designed machines
• Boys focused on technical details
• Girls focused on humanoid features
• Are these differences in ability, attitudes and
  preferences biological or cultural - Can gaming
  address this?

12
Gender Differences Motivations

• Malone and Lepper (1987)
• Intrinsic motivation based on educational game
  research
• Players want challenge, curiosity, fantasy,
  control, adventure, competition, cooperation and
  recognition - Regardless of gender.

13
From Barbie to Mortal Kombat

• Boys play computer games from an early age -
  Therefore more familiar
• Unfamiliarity breeds contempt?
• Graduates in computer science lacking in females
  due to this gap?
• How can the gaming industry overcome this?
• Involve female gamers in design, market to female
  gamers and break the cycle.

14
Gendered Hardware

• X box controller poor design not for females
  again puts barriers for female gamers.
• My gaming profile is anonymous and I often choose
  a male avatar when playing online.
• Therefore many other female gamers may be
  hidden.

15
Game Preference, Mental-rotation and Gender

• Quaiser-Pohl et al (2005)
• 861 school aged children
• Categories of preference action, logic, skill
  and non players
• Mental rotation task

16
Findings

• More females than males prefer logic
• Males preferred more action
• Males outperformed in MRT
• Male non players had lower MRT than action
  players spatial ability training?
• Female MRT not related to preference.

17
Implications

• Nature Vs Nurture female performance matches
  males?
• MRT high score - find some game types easier
  therefore play more.
• Can MRT be improved?

18
Summary

• Gaming industry need to break cycle
• Introduce girly games at an earlier stage of
  development
• Create a female generation of competent gamers
• Encourage more female graduates
• This is assuming the differences are more nature
  than nurture.

19
References

• Carr, D. (2005) Contexts, gaming pleasures, and
  gendered preferences. Simulation Gaming,
  December 1. 36(4) 464 - 482.
• Cassell, J, and Jenkins, H. eds. (1998) Barbie to
  Mortal Kombat Gender and Computer Games.
  Cambridge, Massachusetts MIT Press.
• Joanne Bryce, J. and Rutter, J (2002) Killing
  Like a Girl Gendered Gaming and Girl Gamers'
  Visibility. CGDC Conf. 2002.
• Quaiser-Pohl, C., Geiser, C., Lehmann, W.
  (2006). The relationship between computer-game
  preference, gender, and mental-rotation ability.
  Personality and Individual Differences, 40,
  609-619.